Hills collects walk-off double for the Green & Gold

Davenport, FL. – The Fitchburg State University Baseball team picked up a 15-14 victory over the Terriers of Thomas College this afternoon in non-conference action from the New England Regional Park Field #1 at the 2025 RussMatt Invitational.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 15, Thomas 14

Records: Fitchburg State (3-3, 0-0 MASCAC) I Thomas (2-5, 0-0 NAC

How It Happened

Thomas jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first as graduate student Tony Meza (Los Angeles CA) drove in sophomore Hayden Dippner (Wilton, ME) with a sacrifice bunt before senior Cam Haynes (Laconia, NH) added an RBI double to right center that scored senior DJ Cagnina (South Berwick, ME).

Fitchburg State answered in the bottom of second with senior Nolan Hills (Danvers, MA) scoring a wild pitch, while senior Matthew Smith (Flanders, NJ) followed with an RBI groundout to third, scoring classmate Cole DuHaime (Warminster, PA) before senior Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, MA) laced a two-run triple down the right field line, bringing in classmates Matthew Kelly (East Bridgewater, MA) and Joseph DiCrosta (Wallingford, CT) to make the score 5-3.

The Terriers knotted the contest at 5-5 in the top of third when junior Patrick Temby (Perth, Australia) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate Cagnina and junior Javier Diaz (East Hampton, CT) added an RBI hit by pitch. The Falcons regained the lead in their half of the third, scoring six runs on five hits as senior Maxwell Kelly (East Bridgewater, MA), Mt Kelly, Hurrell and senior Michael Nazzaro (Stoughton, MA) registered RBI' to take an 11-5 edge.

The Green and Gold pushed the margin to 14-6 in the bottom of fifth with Mt Kelly singling up the middle, moving to second on a balk and crossing the plate on an RBI double to right center off the bat of Hurrell, who eventually came around on the score on a wild pitch.

Thomas rallied, scored seven runs in the top of seventh when senior Elijah Morton (New London, NH), Dippner, freshman Gavin Clark (Laconia, NH) and senior Jandre Rivera-Caraballo (Grand Island, FL) collected RBI before Meza added a two-run double to right center to trim the lead to 14-13.

The Terriers retied the contest at 14-14 in the top of ninth as Haynes walked, moved to second on single by Clark, advanced to third on sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Jason Bartlett (Belfast, ME). Fitchburg State secured the victory in the bottom half of the ninth with Hurrell singling to third base and Nazzaro reaching on walk to put runners on first and second before Hills ripped a walk-off double to left center, resulting in the 15-14 final.

By The Numbers

• Hurrell led the way for the Falcons, going 4-for-6 with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and four RBI
• Junior Maxwell Riordan (Pepperell, MA) finished 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and one RBI
• Freshman Owen Corcoran (Stafford, VA) allowed five runs on four hits with three strikeouts over four innings pitched in a no decision for Fitchburg State
• For the Terriers, hit 1-of-4 with two runs scored and three RBI
• Newcomer Justin Conn (Atlanta, GA) took the loss for Thomas, giving up one run on two hits and one K over 1.1 innings of work
• Third meeting between the Falcons and Terriers on the baseball diamond with Fitchburg State 1-2 all-time when taking on Thomas
• Sophomore Demetrius Sampalis (North Scituate, RI) picked up his first collegiate victory for the Green and Gold
• Junior Maxwell Riordan (Pepperell, MA) blasted his first collegiate home run for the Falcons

Up Next

Falcons return to action tomorrow as they take on the Fighting Scots of Gordon College on day six action of the 2025 RussMatt Invitational, starting at 11:00AM.

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